Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
on Dec 15, 2022, Updated Nov 08, 2023
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
My lemon cheesecake thumbprint cookies melt in your mouth. This recipe is one of those recipes that you’ll need to triple, because it’s THAT good. 🍋Whether you’re a lemon lover or simply looking for a unique and delicious cookie, these Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies are a must-try. They’re perfect for any occasion, from a casual afternoon tea to a fancy dessert spread.
Why You’ll Love Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
These lemon cheesecake thumbprint cookies are ideal for anyone who cannot tolerate 🥚 eggs as they are completely egg-free. The dough takes 5 minutes to whip up, so these cookies are easy enough for anyone who is not even a baker. They’re only 5 ingredients, which you probably already have on hand. I can honestly say that this is one of those cookie recipes that you cannot get enough of.
How to Prepare
🥣 Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held mixer and bowl to cream butter and cream cheese for about 2 minutes until smooth.
🍋 Add sugar and lemon extract and mix until smooth. Then add flour, and mix until a sticky dough forms. Scrape down the sides to fully incorporate any remaining flour.
🧊 Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
🥄 Remove dough from the refrigerator, use a small ice-cream scooper to portion the cookies, rolling each in a touch of flour to prevent sticking.
🍓 Place rolled cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten each with your thumb, creating an indent, and add a teaspoon of preferred jam/preserve to the center.
🔥 Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the lemon cheesecake thumbprint cookies for 13-15 minutes or until the edges are light and golden brown.
❄️ Allow the cookies to cool completely and optionally dust with icing sugar. They can be stored at room temperature for up to a week.
Nonna’s Tip 🍋
You MUST refrigerate the cookie dough for at least one hour and you have to use a touch of flour to roll each one as they will stick.
Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies Variations and Substitutions
These Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies have a few tricks up their sleeves! Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try one of these changes!
- Try adding a decorative topping like chopped nuts or a sprinkle of coarse sugar for holiday decoration.
- I have not tried this recipe with gluten-free flour, but feel free to experiment with a gluten-free 1-1 replacement and let me know how it goes!
- Instead of lemon extract, you could try almond, vanilla, orange or another you have on hand.
- Feel free to experiment with different jams or preserves, for example, you could use strawberry, raspberry, apricot or even marmalade.
- You could try dairy-free or vegan alternatives to the butter and cream cheese if you or your guests have allergies.
Other Holiday Recipes
More Holiday Cookies
Looking for an even fancier-looking cookie? Try my puff pastry cookies.
Easy Gingerbread Cookies
3 hrs 23 mins
Italian Amaretti Cookies
25 mins
3 Ingredient Sugar Cookies
20 mins
Shortbread Butter Cookies
27 mins
Common Questions
Feel free to use any jam or preserve you enjoy. I love fig or apricot but you are more than welcome to use any you have on hand.
The lemon extract is optional so don’t worry if you don’t have any on hand. You can also use pure vanilla extract, or almond extract, or leave them plain. Or, if you don’t have pure lemon extract, but still want the flavor, you can also use the zest of a lemon in the recipe.
You MUST refrigerate the cookie dough for at least one hour and you have to use a touch of flour to roll each one as they will stick.
Feel free to freeze the cookie dough tightly wrapped for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and shape as usual.
The cream cheese and butter must be softened in order for the cookies to bake correctly.
You can use salted or unsalted butter. I have made them with both and both results are delicious.
Feel free to try these cookies with a gluten-free 1-1 flour if you are gluten-free. I haven’t tried this, but please let me know if you make any substitutions and leave it in the comments below so that everyone can learn from you!
Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 stick softened salted butter
- 1.5 teaspoons lemon extract , optional if you don’t have any on hand
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour , + 2 extra tablespoons for rolling the balls
- 18 teaspoons jam, I used fig preserve
Instructions
- In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together for about 2 minutes or until smooth. You can also use a hand-held mixer and a bowl as well.
- Once creamy, add the sugar and lemon extract and mix until smooth. Add in the flour and mix until a sticky dough forms. If there’s any flour on the sides, you can scrape it down and mix again until fully incorporated.
- Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. After an hour, take out the dough, remove the plastic and use a small ice-cream scooper to scoop out the cookies. I scoop each cookie, roll it in a touch of flour as it will stick to your hands if you don’t.
- Repeat this step for all 18 cookies. Place each rolled cookie onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press each one down with your thumb to make an indent. Add a teaspoon of any jam/preserve you like to the middle.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and bake until the edges are light and golden brown. This should take 13-15 minutes depending on the oven.
- Let them cool completely and optionally dust with icing sugar. These are perfectly stored at room-temp for up to a week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It was so easy to make, made it for Christmas cookie party.
Love it; thanks Tina! Can not wait for holiday cookie season 🍪☃️
Perfect cookie for a holiday table. Really do melt in your mouth.
This is a very nice cookie.
Not overly sweet even with a light sprinkle of powdered sugar.
I made a double batch for a gathering this past Sabbath(Saturday.)
Completely forgot to take pictures.
I substituted vanilla and finely grated lemon and orange zest for the extract.
Filled ½ with blackberry jam & the other ½ with sour cherry jam.
They disappeared!
Next up: lemon and lime zest, topped with fresh, finely chopped strawberries for a strawberry lemonade cookie. Finish with a light lemon glaze instead of the powdered sugar just to be fancy.
Fresh blueberry jam for a blueberry lemon (think blueberry muffin)cookie. Might make that crumble topping to top them with.
Making the sour cherry again but rolled in chopped, slivered almonds before baking.
I can’t wait.
Wish my mom were still here to try these because she’d have loved them!
Baking in the morning, dough is in the fridge tonight😊
Has anyone tried making larger, bakery sized cookies?
YUM! I love all the variations you’ve come up with. Happy baking!
I’d like to make this for a baby shower. If u used lemon curd instead of jam should I add it before or after baking?
Lovely idea Sue! You can add the lemon curd before baking; it will firm up a bit.
Oh, a lemon curd filling sounds amazing!
I’m going to have to try that.
I’m on a strawberry kick lately so I’ll top them with a slice of strawberry just before serving.
You could go either way with the curd.
If you put it on the cookie after it bakes, be in sure to make the indentation before and lightly press again as soon as they come out of the oven.
Cool completely before filling or the curd could get runny and make the cookies soggy. That’s the advantage of baking the curd. I just don’t like the possibility of them ending up with cracked tops when they’re baked with the curd.
Hope you let us know how they turned out!
Congratulations to the new parents.
Thanks for the comment Sylvia! Wonderful people like you are the reason I love the TMN community so much.
This cookie has become a family favorite 😍
I love that so much, Diana! Thank you!! And I appreciate your rating. 🥰❤️
I made this but used raspberry extract and raspberry jam. It was amazing.
Oh yum!! That sounds divine, Erica! Thank you for sharing! 😍
That sounds amazing!
Very easy, quick and delicious recipe!
Hi Katarina, omg so happy! I appreciate the review so much
Love Love Love these!!
These are DELICIOUS!! I looked at some other Lemon Thumbprint Cookies but this one caught my attention because of the ingredients. I did find upon my 2nd try that 2 hours or more resulted in shaping the dough into balls was not sticky. I used apricot preserves and it did not run.
Hi sweets! Thanks so much for making them, they look amazing and thank you for the kind review.
Hello, would i be able to premake the dough a day or two in advance and just bake on the day i need them?
Hi Rana, that should be totally fine 🙂
Awesome cookies. Tried them for our annual cookie cook off with my adult boys. We have doing a baking day every Christmas. It is now one of our top cookies to put on the list. We have been baking together for over 30 years. It is an annual tradition for family, friends and hopefully it will continue with grandchildren. Thank you for sharing. Picture to follow.
Oh my gosh, thank you so much for sharing, Miggie! ❤️
Very easy, fast and tasty!! Looks great too!
Thank you !
Hi sweets! Omg thank you for the review, means so much to me!
Would lemon curd work instead of a jam/preserve?
Hey Ceci! Yes, lemon curd would definitely also work 🙂 Sounds like a delicious substitution – let me know how it turns out!!